Potentially reactive composition and process of making same



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State of New York have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potentially Reactive Compositions and Processes of Making Same, of which the following is a specification.- v

In my prior U. S. Patent No. 1,3 54,154, patented Sept; 28, 1920, I have described and claimed a potentially reactive composition comprising a phenol resinand a methyleneamin-phenol, specifically hexamethylenetetraminetriphenol 'or the cresol derivatives corresponding thereto. In the said application I have pointed out that the methylenearnin-phenols are capable of. entering into reaction with the so-called phenol resins (which term is hsed therein 1 broadly to include the phenolic condensa-\ tion products 'of the permanently fusible and soluble type, otherwise known. as saliretins) to yield phenolic condensation prodnets of the infusible type; and that, mix-- tures of phenol resins with methyleneam1n-.

phenols, or the first or partial reaction products derived from such'mixtures, con 'stitute highl desirable starting materials for the. pro notion of such infusible phenolic condensation pro ucts. 'As such starting materials they may, as fully explained in the said application, be employed alone,

or'in conjunctionwith plasticizing agents,

on with fibrous or other filling materials for the preparation of molding mixtures. I

I have also pointed out therein that these starting materials may be dissolved in appropriate organic solvents for the preparation of varnlshes, impregnating solutions, cements or the like. I have further pointed out in the said application that inasmuch as the phenol resins may be regarded as derived by dehydration from phenol-alcohols, the latter bodies are to be considered as equivalents for the phenol resinsas starting materials for the purposes ofythat reaction. e

The present apphcatlon relates more specifically to the reactions between the meth-.

yleneamin-phenols, of which hexamethylenetetramine-triphenol will be considered as nol alcohol Application filed @ctober at, me. Serif-3:1 no. aaaesi.

a. type, and the phenol-alcohols, orsuch-de- Y tages. It not only allows great precision in the reaction and ready control of the proportions of the reacting bodies and of the character of the reaction products, both prianary and secondary, but the great solubility of the reacting materials in solvents in general, andmore particularly in water,

introduces in many cases important technical advantages in the utilization of these products as well as inthe methods 0t their preparation.

F or example, in the impregnation of pa- I per, fabrics, or other porous materials, including the manufacture of so-called composite cardboard (see U. S. Patent 1,019, i06, patented March 5, 1912 to L. H. Baekeland) an aqueous solution -of aphenol-alcohol and hexamethylenetetraminetriph'enol, or the corresponding addition products derived from cresols or cresol-mix- 'tures, can be used instead of the solutions prepared with more expensive organic solvents, alcohol or the like, which latter also have the disadvantage of being inflammable or explosive.

- Such mixtures, and certain of the initial products of condensation prepared therefrom, are not onlyreadilysoluble, but they are comparatively easily fusible, w-hic irn; partsna very desirable plasticity in t ei'nitial. operations I of pressing or 1nd din when. used alone or in\ admixture wit fibrous or other filling materials. Instead of mixing the pro-formed phea-nd methyleneamin phenol, either in' the dry state or in .presence of water, the process canbe still further sim plified and cheapened by; producing the penol-alcohols or equivalent water-soluble reaction roducts derived from phenols and formaldehyde or its polmyersand equivalelnts, directly in aqueous solution, using for t is methods. To the aqueous solution of phepurpose any of the well known nol-alcohols thus prepared 1 may add an aqueous solution of a methyleneamin-phe- 1101, such as hexamethylenetetramine-triphenol, without necessity of purifying either of such'solutions, whether by crystallization or otherwise. The mixed solution prepared as above either as such or after being concentrated to any desired degree by evaporation, can be utilized for impregnating or coating, for the manufacture ofcomposite cardboard or the like, and in general for all of the purposes for ,which solutions of phenolic condensation products are used in this art. The solution, or concentrate or residue therefrom, may likewise be compounded with suitable filling materials, .such

for example as wood flour, and the result-' -ing molding mixtures-can then be shaped or hardened in accordance with .the now well known methods involving the employment of heat or of heat and pressure.

After the admixture of the methyleneamin-phenol and the phenol-alcohol a lim ited reaction may occur between these bodies, evidenced by the setting freeof ammonia; but when aqueous solutions of the potentially reactive composition are desired, this reaction is not permitted to pass the stage at which the reaction product is soluble in or capable of dilution by water or aqueous solutions. nets are, for the purposes of this invention equivalent to the raw materials from which the are derived.

he proportions in which the methyleneamin-phenol and the phenol-alcohol are caused to react may be widely varied in accordance with the particular results sought .to be obtained. For example a mixture containing 90 parts by weight of phenolalcohol and 10 parts of hexamethylenetetrw mine-triphenol will yield by further reacf 1 tion, most advantageously carried out under pressure, a hard and infusible final product which ishighly resistant to mostsolvents, although it may be attacked by acetone without complete solution therein. But in general I prefer toemploy larger proportions of the methyleneamin-phenol than are above indicated, since such larger proportions tend to produce 'a final product of greater strength and also of better heat resisting quality. I In the manufacture of transparent goods in particular it is desirable to "use rather large proportions of hexamethylenetetraminetriphenol relative to the phenol-alcohol: Thus I have obtained excellent end products using. as'high. as 90 parts of hexarnethylenetetramine-triphenol to 10 parts of phenol alcohol. Certain representative formulae Which are, however, to be regarded as'illustrative only, are as follows:

.Egvample l.-()xybenzylalcohol 50 parts by weight. Hexamethylenetetramin'etriphenol 50 parts by weight. Melted-together" and Such water-soluble reaction prodmaaeao heated in an 0 en vessel until bubbling ocours and the me ted material acquires a somewhat thicker consistency. Then heated at about 150 0., under: suflicient pressure so as to prevent porosity, for about ten hours, or

less in case higher temperatures are used.

ExamplelL -Oxybenzylalcohol 85 parts by weight. Hexamethylenetetraminetrlphenol 15 parts by weight. Melt together and heat as in Example I.

These operations can be carried out under various conditions and with or without admixtures as is now well known in this art. A preponderant amount of phenol-alcohol tends to give products which havea more horny cut.

As stated above, the hexamethylenetetramine-triphenol may be wholly or partly replaced by homologs, or substances of similar composition, such as the derivatives of hexamethylenetetramine and the cresols, or the dior other poly-phenols. The phenol-alcohols are, as is well known, water-soluble bodies derived from phenols, cresols, etc., by

reaction with formaldehyde; and I -use the term herein to include broadly such reaction products of phenols and formaldehyde, paraform and equivalent bodies containing a mobile methylene roup, as are soluble in or capable of being iluted by water. For example I may prepare a solution of about equimolecular proportions or somewhat less of (paraform in phenol, preferably with the ad ition of a minute proportion, say about 0.25% or less, of caustic soda or equivalent condensing afgent, and such solution, being.

susceptible o dilution by water, is to garded as an equivalent forthe phenol-alcohols for the purposes of this. invention. Again, by inducing in such a solution a carefully controlled and limited reaction I am enabled to prepare a potentially reactive phenolic condensation roduct which is soluble in or can be dilute by water, and which, therefore, is likewise utilizable for the purposes of this invention.

Naturally alcohol or other organic liquids The term potentiall reactive composition is used herein to esignat'ea composi-.

tion or mixture which will by further reaction, under the influence of heat or of heat and pressure, yield a henolic condensation product of the infusi le type.

neaacao Where reference is made in the claims to aqueous solutions containing a methyleneamin phenol and a phenol alcohol, it is to be understood that the expression is intended to include any reaction products of these bodies which are capable of existing in aqueous solution.

I claim I 1. Process of making a potentially reactive composition, comprising commingling a methyleneamin-phenol and a phenolalcohol.

2. Process of making a potentially reactive composition, comprising commingiing inpresence of water a methyleneaminphenol and a phenol-alcohol. v

3. Process. of making a potentially reactive composition, comprising reacting upon a methyleneamin-phenol with a phenol-alcohol, and arresting the reaction before the water-insoluble stage is reached.

4.. Process of making a potentially reactive composition, upon a methyleneamin-phenol with a phenol-alcohol in presence of water, and arresting the reaction before the Water-insoluble stage is reached.

5. Process of making a'potentially reactive composition, comprisin .corniningling hexamethylenetetramine-triphenol and a phenol-alcohol.

6. Process of making a potentially reactive composition, comprisin' commingling in presence of water nexamethycomprising reacting V lenetetraminetriphenol and a phenol-alcohol.

7. Process of making a potentially re-' active composition, comprising reacting upon hexamethylenetetramine-triphenol with a phenol-alcohol, and arresting the reaction before the Water-insoluble stage is reached.

ized by solubility in Water and aqueous solutions.

10. An aqueous solution containing a methyleneamin-phenol and a phenol-alco-- hol.

11. A potentially reactive composition comprising hexamethylenetetramine triphenol and a phenol-alcohol, said composition characterized by solubility in water and aqueous solutions.

12. An aqueous solution containing herameth lenetetramine-triphenol and a phenol-al cohol.

In testimony whereof, ll affix my signature.

LEO H. BAEKELAND. 

